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RHIZOGONIACEAE
Scott R. Gilmore 1
Rhizogoniaceae Broth., Nat. Pflanzenfam. I, 3: 614 (1904).
Type: Rhizogonium Brid.
Dioicous, synoicous or monoicous. Plants minute to very large, lax to densely tufted. Stems
usually simple, sometimes branched or dendroid. Rhizoids ±papillose. Leaves imbricate to
widely spaced, erect-spreading to squarrose, unranked or in ranks of 2 or 4, linear-lanceolate
to ovate-lanceolate; margin simple or comprised of elongated cells, ±thickened, entire,
dentate, serrate, or with single or paired multicellular teeth; costa strong, ending just below
the apex to excurrent, often toothed abaxially; laminal cells usually small and isodiametric,
±thick-walled, smooth.
Perichaetia bud-like, basal, lateral or terminal. Calyptra long and thin, usually cucullate.
Setae erect, elongate. Capsules erect to cernuous, commonly elongate, often arcuate, short necked, widest at the mouth; operculum ±rostrate. Peristome usually double and well
developed. Spores small, globose or ovoid.
Rhizogoniaceae comprises eight genera and about 45 species. It is especially diverse in
tropical and subtropical regions of the Southern Hemisphere where it grows on bark and
decaying wood in moist habitats, also occurring less commonly on rock and soil. Six genera
and 15 species are known from near the east coast of Australia.
The family has gametophytic affinities with the Bartramiaceae and Calomniaceae, and the
sporophyte shows similarity to Mniaceae. Rhizogoniaceae is accepted here in its traditional
sense; however, it is likely that future research will result in the segregation of new families.
References
Eddy, A. (1996), Rhizogoniaceae, Handb. Malesian Mosses 3: 197–214.
Koponen, T., Touw, A. & Norris, D.H. (1986), Bryophyte flora of the Huon Peninsula, Papua
New Guinea. XIV. Rhizogoniaceae (Musci), Acta Bot. Fenn. 133: 1–24.
Manuel, M.G. (1981), Synopsis of Rhizogoniaceae Broth. in Malaya, Cryptog. Bryol.
Lichénol. 2: 449–455.
Sainsbury, G.O.K. (1955), Notes on Tasmanian mosses from Rodway’s herbarium: IV, Pap.
& Proc. Roy. Soc. Tasmania 89: 21–23 (1955).
Key to Genera
1
Peristome single (exostome lacking); costa ending below the long hairpointed leaf apex .........................
.................................................................................................................................... HYMENODON
1:
Peristome double; costa usually percurrent to excurrent (ending below apex in Goniobryum); leaf apex
lacking a long hairpoint ....................................................................................................................... 2
2
2:
Laminal cells more than 30 µm long (1:) ................................................................ GONIOBRYUM
Laminal cells less than 30 µm long .................................................................................................. 3
3
Marginal teeth paired (2:) ........................................................................................ PYRRHOBRYUM
3:
Marginal teeth single ........................................................................................................................... 4
1 7494 Andrea Crescent, Lantzville, British Columbia, Canada V0R 2H0
Cite as: S.R.Gilmore, Australian Mosses Online. 36. Rhizogoniaceae.
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/Mosses_Online/Rhizogoniaceae.pdf (2012)
4
Leaves neither ranked nor complanate, often with propagula between leaves (3:) ......... LEPTOTHECA
4:
Leaves ranked and complanate, lacking propagula between leaves ................................................... 5
5
Leaves 4-ranked; plants 2.5–8.0 cm long; leaf border composed of elongate cells (4:) .. MESOCHAETE
5:
Leaves 2-ranked; plants 1–3 cm long; leaf border with or without elongate cells ......... RHIZOGONIUM
2